Check-row lever for corn-planters.



No. 672,559. Patented Apr. 23, I90I. J. KAYLOR.

CHECK BOW LEVER FUR CORN PLANTERS.

(Application filed Mar, 16, 1901.)

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` NITED STATES ATENT Prion..

`JOHN KAYLOR, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

CHECK-ROW LEVER FOR CAORN-PLANTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,559, dated April23, 1901. Applications@ 118.1101116. 1901. serrano. 51,454.. mamas ToalZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KAYLOR, of the city of Decatuiycounty of Macon,and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Check-Row Levers for Corn-Planters, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the forked levers used on check-rowcorn-planters to impart motion from the knots on the check-row wire todropping mechanism of the planter,and its utility will hereinafterappear. It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and itis defined in the appended claims.

Check-row levers are made in various forms. Some swing in a horizontalplane and others swing in a vertical plane, and they transmit force tothe dropping mechanism in various ways. The forked ends of the leversare, however, substantially the same in all practical planters atpresent manufactured, and in all cases the levers are thrown in onedirection by the resistance of the relatively stationary knots on thecheck-row wire and are returned by spring-pressure. The bars of whichthe forks of alever are composed extend parallel one with the otherthroughout the impact part of the lever, and they diverge at their endsto forma releasing-space and to insure the` proper straddling of thewire by the fork as the lever is returned by the spring. The leverextends across the wire and is either presented forward or held atapproximately right angles with the wire while traveling from one knotto another, the normal position of the lever depending on variousrequirements in different planters, and in every case the lever is swungbackward by the resistance of the knots as the planter travels forwarduntil the impact-surface of the fork forms a sliding angle or an inclineon which the knots may slide. As the lever swings backward theretracting-spring is put under tension and the knots are ordinarilycarried to one side of the general direction of the wire, so that at theinstant of release there is prettystrong pressure of the knot againstthe lever. The operative swing of the lever tends to carry the divergingends to one side of the wire, while the retractingspring acts withconsiderable force to carry the fork across the wire. Thebearing-surface of the knot is broad enough to engage the members of thefork, or, in other words, is not small enough to pass between theparallel extension of the fork; but it is not much larger than isnecessary to throw the lever,and it is somewhat elongated. Consequentlywhen the impact end of a knot enters the space between the divergingends of the members'of the fork the force of the spring tends to causethe diverging surfaces to pinch the knot and interfere with its freerelease from the lever. The pinch on the knot wears the fork of thelever and increases the acuteness of t-he internal angle formed by thediverging ends. The increased acuteness increases the pinchcorrespondingly until the operation of the planter is seriouslyinterfered with and the fork or the knots, or both,Lm becomeinoperative. The knots may retain their form sufciently to throw theforked levers for some time after being subjected to the undue strain ofthe pinching process; but ordinarily they will become compactedsomewhat, thus changing the distance between knots and impairing theaccuracy of the checking, and eventually they will becolne entirelyinoperative. If the worn levers are frequently replaced, the difficultymaybe lessened; but the frequent replacing of worn levers is of itself adifliculty, or at least an expense and annoyance, and even in new leversthe pinch of the fork on the knots prevents perfect operation of thecheck-row mechanism.

To overcome the difficulties hereinbefore explained, I place rollingbearings in the ends of the parallel parts of the members of the forksof the lever at the points of divergence of the diverging ends, so thatas the knots ride into the releasing-spaces they will be carried by therolling bearings, as will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a planof a horizontallyacting check-row lever embodying in y invention. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the lever.

Fig. 3 is a representation of the inner surface of one of the members ofthe fork of the lever. Fig. 4 shows an end of a member of the fork. Fig.5 is a side elevation of the forked end of The lever l may be made inany desiredV form and may be adapted to swing either horizontally orvertically. .In this instance it is designed to swing at 2 on a Verticalpivot, and its extended and bored end provides means for connecting witha planter-shaft or' The fork members 3 and 4 are4 slide-bar. clamped tothe lever on opposite sides thereof by means of a bolt 5. They extendparallel one with the other for some distance, and at their ends theydiverge, as shown at 6. Recesses 10 are formed in the inner surface ofthe members of the fork at the points of divergence of ends 6. Pins 7extend inward into the recesses, and rollers 8 are journaled on thepins. The rollers are separated a space approximately equal to thedistance between the parallel extensions of the fork members, and theiropposed ends are slightly beveled, as shown `at 9. Above the rollers thediverging ends 6 are set back to about the outer lines of the bevels ofthe rollers and their opposing surfaces are rounded somewhat, as shownat 11. (See Fig. 4.)

The smallest space between diverging ends 6 is greater than'theimpact-surface of the end of the knot. ,The upper inner parts of therollers are exposed, and when the knot passes the parallelbearing-surfaces of the fork they ride freely over the rollers unimpededby the extensions 6. The bevels on the rollers are only sufficient topermit the fork to swing freely astride the wire after the knot isreleased and so the axes of the rollers are substantially parallel withthe rolling bearings for the knots., In Fig. l the impact of a knot withthe fork is shown in solid lines, and broken lines are used to show theknot at the releasing-point of the fork. It is when the knot is at theposition shown in broken lines that the rolling bearings are engaged andpinch of the fork on the knot is avoided.

Figs. 5 and 6 show balls used in place of rollers to provide for rollingfriction, the balls being shown at 8a. In these figures the members 0fthe fork are shown at 3a and 4, the balls are nested in recesses in thebars, the

divergingtextensions'fa curve downward and forward to retain the balls,as `shown at 12, and lugs 13 are bent around the balls from outside thefork members to retain the balls in their recesses. These iigures aresuggestive merely of means'for holding the balls in place, and thedetails are susceptible of various changes, the essential thing being tohold the rolling bearings in position to bear against the knot at thetime the knot passes out of contact with the front surfaces oftheparallel parts of the'fork.

In the case of the ball-bearings the knot is such rollers being beveledor rounded-011 their opposingv sides.

3. Aforked check-row lever having rollerbearings at the points ofdivergence of the diverging ends of the members of the fork, the axes ofsuch rollers being approximately at right angles with the length of thefork.

4. A forked check-row lever having opposing recesses in the members ofthe fork at the points of divergence of the diverging ends thereof, androller-bearings held in the recesses with their inner surfacesapproximately in line with the inner surfaces of the parallelparts of the fork members.

5. A forked check-row lever having parallel fork members, recessed attheir ends, rollerbearings in the recesses and diverging extensions ofthe fork members set back from the opposing ends of the roller bearingsand rounded, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

JOHN KAYLOR. Witnesses:

CHAS. T. KELLAM, D. H. SAWYER.

